Remarks of the President of the Republic of Indonesia at the Inauguration of Sanur Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and Bali International Hospital (BIH) in Denpasar City, Bali Province, Wednesday, 25 June 2025

Om swastiastu,

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Good afternoon,

May peace be upon as all,

Shalom.

Salve,

Namo Buddhaya,

Greetings of virtue.

Distinguished Ministers and Deputy Ministers of the Red and White Cabinet: Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Erick Thohir, Minister of Investment and Downstream Industry, who also serves as CEO of Danantara Rosan Perkasa Roeslani, Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Minister of Tourism Widiyanti Putri, Cabinet Secretary of the Republic of Indonesia Lieutenant Colonel of Infantry Teddy Indra Wijaya;

President Director of Injourney Maya Watono; heads of state-owned enterprises, leaders of private companies in the Sanur Special Economic Zone;

Distinguished heads of tourism, cultural, and community organization, traditional elders, distinguished guests and esteemed members of press and media. Also the representatives of the Indonesian Cancer Foundation, members of the medical diaspora in attendance,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I also welcome Distinguished Guests from foreign countries who are participants and partners in this Special Economic Zone and the health facilities here. I welcome you and I thank you for your participation in this historic adventure that we are starting on.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let us praise and offer our gratitude to the Almighty God for granting us blessings and good health, allowing us to be present at this auspicious event this afternoon to inaugurate the Sanur Special Economic Zone, which is a historic breakthrough in my view.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to thank you for the invitation extended to me, allowing me to attend and take part in this inauguration.

Foremost, I would like to express my appreciation to all parties who have initiated the establishment of this special economic zone, which is particularly dedicated to the health sector. I think this is the first of its kind in our Republic, that we have built a special economic zone, specifically intended to provide world-class, international-standard healthcare service.

We have been informed that a lot of Indonesian citizens are seeking medical treatment abroad, which has led to a great amount of foreign expenditure. Through this initiative, we now have the means to provide healthcare service, the quality of which is no less than the world’s best.

Therefore, I once again extend my deep appreciation for this remarkable endeavor.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The fundamental duty of a country is to protect its people. This protection includes all aspects. First is undoubtedly their welfare, their livelihood, which means people should be safeguarded from starvation and poverty at all costs. In conjunction with that, the tangible measure to help citizens rise from poverty is to improve their quality of life, particularly their health. I believe health expenditure is something that takes a great portion of every citizen’s spending. Thus, the country must be present and dare to be the pioneer to ensure and maintain the health of all its people.

One of the core duties of a country in ensuring equitable welfare is by providing the best healthcare services to all its people. Healthcare education is an instrument of equality to enhance their well-being. Hence, in order to boost the self-sufficiency of our nation, the establishment of this SEZ is truly important and I deeply value and commend this step forward.

In addition, we must also honor the presidents who preceded us, who initiated the best healthcare service. All of our presidents, from the first to the most recent, are commendable in building the healthcare system for our country.

And so, I am delighted because I get to officiate the inauguration of the SEZ, though it was first initiated during the presidency of President Joko Widodo. Once again, I take this opportunity to invite all of us to extend our appreciation for the decision of President Joko Widodo to establish this special economic zone. As this SEZ is approved under the government of Mr. Joko Widodo, as fate would have it, I am the one given the honor to inaugurate the good decisions.

So, ladies and gentlemen, I believe I have inherited the wisdom and integrity of the presidents who came before me. This is what I have learned from them. And this is what we must have the courage to emulate. Let us always remember the good deeds of those who came before us, our predecessors at every level. This country was not built by just one or two individuals, but layer by layer: by presidents, vice presidents, ministers, governors, regents, entrepreneurs, farmers, fishermen, doctors in remote areas, teachers and professors in classrooms who teach their students, and engineers.. All of them are part of the foundation of this nation.

Therefore, with this SEZ, I believe we can truly be proud of what we have achieved. I took a tour around here and saw quite impressive facilities. Today, I visited two hospitals, including the Wellness Aesthetic Center Hospital at Universitas Ngoerah Sun. It was extraordinary. Their technology and treatments are considerably advanced, even international standards for dermatology, plastic surgery, dentistry, ophthalmology, and more. Honestly, it was so sophisticated that I found myself intrigued, maybe even tempted to go there myself, incognito. Apparently, there’s even a special entrance for governors and above. My teeth could probably use a little work, to be honest.

I visited the Ngoerah Sun Wellness and Aesthetic Center at Prof. dr. I.G.N.G Ngoerah Central General Hospital. Then I also stopped by Bali International Hospital, which was equally impressive. When I walked in, I actually thought I had entered a hotel. It really has that kind of atmosphere, with marble floors and a luxurious feel.

What this means is that Indonesia is a large, developed, and dynamic country. We must have world-class facilities so that we can position ourselves as a regional hub that is able to admit patients, not only from within the country but also from across Southeast Asia, the Pacific, and beyond.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I want to personally express how proud I am that Indonesia now has a facility like this. At the same time, we must continue to strengthen our healthcare insurance system. Access to quality care should not be limited to the upper class. With strong insurance coverage and government support when needed, we can ensure that even those less fortunate have access to the highest standard of care, especially now that we have such advanced medical equipment available.

I also want to express my deep appreciation to the Minister of Health. Today, we are seeing some of the most advanced and sophisticated medical equipment in the world being brought into Indonesia. At the same time, we are continuing to train skilled professionals to operate this equipment, ensuring that our people have access to the highest quality healthcare services.

We still face many challenges, including a shortage of doctors. That’s why I will continue to support the Minister of Health, and I will also call on the Minister of Education [particularly in charge of primary and secondary education], to take immediate steps. We need to expand medical schools, open more nursing academies, and improve the training of medical specialists. This must be done efficiently, without being held back by outdated procedures and regulations that no longer meet the demands and challenges of today.

I think that’s the main message I wanted to share. Once again, thank you to everyone who has put tireless effort to make this incredible SEZ a reality.

And to our foreign friends, once again, thank you for your participation, thank you for your support. I think this special economic zone for medical services and health, I think is something that Indonesia can be proud of. And your participation, I think, is very much appreciated.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Indonesia is a country with a great determination to develop rapidly. We must align ourselves with other nations. We can no longer rely on outdated, inefficient, and wasteful methods, and poor management. These must be left behind. The Indonesian people do not want systems like that. They demand an efficient government and quality public services. Be accountable for the public funds; no misuse. Today, this SEZ stands as a breakthrough, an example of how we can accelerate progress. And it should serve as a model for many other sectors.

That’s the remarks I wanted to deliver today. It is my great honor to officially inaugurate the Sanur Special Economic Zone and Bali International Hospital. I also had the pleasure of signing the commemorative plaque at the hospital.

Thank you.

Om santi santi santi om,

Wassalam’ualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

May peace be upon as all,

Namo Buddhaya,

Greetings of Virtue.

Shalom,

Salve.

Thank you.

By the grace of God Almighty, at noon today, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, I, Prabowo Subianto, President of the Republic of Indonesia, hereby inaugurate the Sanur Special Economic Zone and Bali International Hospital. (YS/AW/MUR)